Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-11-10
THE NAN-GIN.TSIN,
a Description Of the Largest Opium Don
In the Chinese Empire.


Description of the Largest Opium Don
In the Chinese Empire.
The Nan-gin-tsin is the greatest
opium den in China. 1t is situated in
the French concession in Shanghai,
within stones throw Of the wall of
the native city, within which no opium
shops are supposed to exist The
throngs visiting it represent all sta
tons of life. from the coolie to tho
wealthy merchant or the small man.
dfrin. 1t is with difficulty that one
gets inside through the crowds Of
people hanging round the door. Those
who have not the requisite number of
copper cash to procure the baneful
pipe watch with horrible usefulness
each OF the more afhuent pass in with
nervous, hurried step. or totter out
wearing that peculiar dazed express
sion which comes after the smokers
craving has been satisfied and his
transient pleasure has passed away.
Unc requires strong stomach TO
stand the sickening fumes with which
the air inside is thickened. The clouds
OF smoke, the dim light from the
numerous colored lamps, the numbers
of reclining forms with distorted faces
bent over the small flames at which
The pipes are lighted. cause the novice
sickening sensation.
But as soon as the eye becomes ac-
customed to the scene it is noticed that
the place is got up on an expensive
scale. In the centre of the lower room
hangs one of the finest of Chinese
lamps. the ceiling is of richly carved
wood. while the painted walls are
thickly inlaid with a peculiarly marked
marble. which gives the idea of uniiu-
ishcd landscape sketches Numerous
doors on all sides lead to the smokers
apartments. In the outer portion OF
The building stands counter covered
with little boxes of the drug ready for
smoking, which dozen assistants are
kept busy handing out to the servants
who wait upon the habitues of the
place. The average daily receipts are
said to BE- about f200 The smoking
apartments ARE divided into foul
classes In the cheapest are coolies.
who pay about fourpencc for theil
smoke. In the dearest the smoke
costs about sevenpencc. The drug
supplied in each class is much tho
same both in quality and quantity; i
is the differences in the pipes that regu
atcs the price.
The rooms also are furnished &C
cording to class In the most expen
sive the lounge upon which tn,
smoker reclincs is of fine velvet. will
pillows of the same materials; the
frames of each couch are inlaid with
mother-of-pcarl and jade, and the
whole air of these rooms is one of sen
suous luxury. There is also mum
Der of private rooms. In the poorer
section will be seen many wearers o
the tattcred yellow and gray robes o
Buddhist and Tavist priests. Womel
form fair proportion of the smokers
The common belief is that the opium
sleep is attended by mild pleasure
bic dclrlum, with brief glances o
Elysium; but this is the exception, no
the rule. People smoke TO satisfy til
craving bcgottcn of previous indul
gcnce. There is accommodation for on
hundred and fifty smokers at time
and there is seldom vacancy yer
long The streams of smokers goe
on from early morning till midnight
when the place closes; the clouds q
smoke go up incessantly all day long
NORTH China Herald.